What To Know About Testosterone

Testosterone and bodybuilding have gone hand in hand for decades because of its versatility and easy absorption into the body. Testosterone is the most common form of anabolic steroid and what all others are modeled after. Because it’s a necessary hormone in the body it’s considered both safe for use in medical conditions and for recreational use.

Bodybuilders can expect testosterone to boost their physical appearance and their stamina and endurance during work outs. These affects combined with how easily one can add testosterone to their routine makes it the go-to steroid for bodybuilders.

It’s important to know that we refer to all anabolic steroids in this article as “testosterone” because all anabolic steroids are designed to simulate testosterone. This guide is an overview of testosterone and products designed to mimic it in the body.

What role does testosterone play in the body?
Testosterone is a natural hormone typically attributed to males though it is found in both men and women, and even animals. It is produced in the sex organs of both genders, the testes for men and ovaries in women although men produce it at much higher levels. It allows humans to develop during puberty and plays a key role in defining our body shapes, sex lives and emotions through puberty and as we age. Testosterone works almost like a hormonal version of caffeine in the body. It can boost all parts of your body like muscle mass, hair growth, and mood.

Why take testosterone?
Testosterone is a growth hormone that stimulates muscle growth, increased strength, increased bone density and increased body hair. It can also play a key role in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol to decrease the risks of heart disease and heart attack.

It is especially helpful to take when bodybuilding so your muscles can get the most of a work out. If you’re looking to increase your muscle size as much as possible you’ll need to have a greater level of growth hormones in your system to support this extra gain, which is exactly what testosterone is for. Testosterone allows your muscles to expand with your strength and reduce fat levels for pure muscle gain.

How does testosterone help my work out?
By taking testosterone during your work out you give your body the greatest chance to build bigger muscles more quickly. During training your body produces low amounts of testosterone that are absorbed into the muscles after your workout to help repair the muscles. This repairing over time is what gives muscles their strength allowing them to come back stronger. Obviously the more testosterone you have in your body the more your muscles will not only repair to be stronger, but will become overcome with the hormone to also come back bigger.

How to use testosterone:
Testosterone is taken in what’s known as a “steroid cycle” which means it’s taken for a weeks of “on time” and then discontinued to let the body balance itself before continuing. Serious bodybuilders also take it in a combination stack, which means varying steroids taken in conjunction with each other during a cycle.

The great thing about taking testosterone for bodybuilding is that your body won’t have a refractory period, meaning if you find a dose that works for you; it will always work for you. While many users of testosterone will eventually up their dosage over time for increased muscle size, there will never be a point where your body requires a larger dose of it for continued maintenance.

What are the risks of testosterone?
While testosterone is a great tool for bodybuilding it doesn’t come without some risks. Some users will report mood swings, acne, breast growth and sleep pattern problems. These side effects are usually easily dealt with and the benefits are often considered to out-weigh those risks. One risk that will need to be closely monitored though is that testosterone is shown to raise the red blood cell count which means your blood can thicken. Many men go around this by donating blood to keep their blood cell count down.

Will testosterone hurt my sex drive?
The most frequently asked question about testosterone use is how it will affect a sex drive. The good news is that testosterone is shown to increase the libido instead of diminish it. So much so that it is frequently used as therapy for men with a low sex drive.

Women and testosterone:
Testosterone alone is currently not approved for women to use recreationally as most testosterone steroids come in too high of a dose for women’s bodies to handle. Even though testosterone occurs naturally in females as well as males, females produce a much lower amount of it making products created for men incredibly unsafe for the female body. Risks of use can include increased body hair, male pattern scalp hair loss, reduced breast size and irregular menstrual cycles. There is also a large risk of mood problems like anger, or sudden hostility.

What are some brands of testosterone supplements?
- Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder: This is a tasteless, odorless powder made to mix in with any drink. You can purchase it in many different dosages to fit into your steroids cycle or stack.
- Universal Nutrition Animal Pak Sports Nutrition Supplement: This supplement is made to fuel your workout as well as build muscle.
- BSN Noxplode 2.0: Noxplode 2.0 is designed to not only kick your workout into overdrive but also give you increased mental clarity, it even comes in several different flavors.
- PureCap Labs Testosterone: Not only designed to help with workouts, but also to help correct sexual deficiencies.

Testosterone is a great tool for creating a high intensity work out with results to match. Many products are created in mixed powders or easily swallowed pills to fit in seamlessly with your routine or lifestyle making it your new go-to for bulking up. Whether it’s in the gym, the ring, or even the bedroom testosterone is your first line of defense for bigger, better muscles and stamina.